No Vita Vea Means No Win Today?
January 8th, 2023
Will be missed.
If you are just basing today’s lame-duck season finale between the Bucs and the Dixie Chicks on season results and who won’t play, a safe move with your short-term investment broker might be to lay cash on the Dixie Chicks.
Today’s game, outside of making sure Tom Brady doesn’t suffer his first losing season, doesn’t mean a damn thing. Not a hill of beans. It is a lame-duck game for Tampa Bay.
The Bucs will host a playoff game next weekend. The Bucs will play either Dallas or Philadelphia based on those teams’ games only.
And if you are going on Vita Vea’s history this season, it’s likely a Bucs loss (like it really matters).
When Akiem Hicks and Vita Vea are both on the field this season, the Bucs are 6-1. Pretty good, right?
When one is out of the lineup, the Bucs are 2-7. But hey, one of those wins was against Atlanta.
Vea on Friday was declared out of today’s game with a calf injury, which he has been nursing for a while.
January 8th, 2023 at 12:17 am
I don’t think the Vea/Hicks stats really tell the true story. Now if they were on offense it’d be a different story because the Bucs lost all those games this year because they couldn’t score more then 17 points.
January 8th, 2023 at 12:39 am
If you have any pride, there’s a difference between a winning and losing record. So it’s not a meaningless game. It also matters for momentum and confidence. If this team was sitting at 13-3 and had kicked ass all season, it might be a different story… but these guys have no good reason to believe they can win games, cuz they haven’t done it enough. Sunday should be focused on winning, period. That’s what winning teams do.
January 8th, 2023 at 12:51 am
Lame duck? I compare this Joe’s comments as reasonable as a snake with toenail fungus.
January 8th, 2023 at 12:57 am
no reason to play anyone with anything lingering.
All good nothing to play for.
January 8th, 2023 at 2:11 am
I’m really over VV.
Part time player and frequently injured. He’s fun to watch when he’s producing, no doubt, but we need a full time contributor at NT.
If we’re smart we move him soon.
January 8th, 2023 at 4:48 am
Oooo, some interesting comments. Agree with Miller 5252 that Vea/Hicks both being available doesn’t tell the whole story. Great point about the offense performance, but also the 2 of them don’t seem to be on the field at the same time all that much (Vea thus far as only played in 53.6% of our defensive snaps this season, while Hicks has only gotten 38.4%). TOGETHER their 925 total defensive snaps in 16 games don’t come close to the 982 defensive snaps that Ndamukong Suh put up by himself with the 2016 Dolphins in 16 games.
And Sasquatch, I agree with you 100%. Pride, momentum, confidence are all critically important to professionals. Would much rather see this team go into the playoffs on a high.
DooshLaRue, I’m not real happy with Vea either, but we won’t be moving him anytime soon I’ll bet. For next season he’s due to make $15.7 mil but has a Dead CAP of $22.6 mil. That’d be a lot to eat for a team that’s already MINUS $43 mil against the projected 2023 salary CAP with only 33 players under contract.
As bad as that sounds, gut feel is that it’ll actually be much worse from our defensive perspective. Right now we only have 11 defensive players under contract TOTAL, and only 6 of those are bonafide starters (Vea, Shaq, Davis, White, Winfield & JTS, although Hall & McCollum have gotten some snaps this year, although neither has been particularly impressive IMO).
Unfortunately just those first 3 will be costing us $55.7 mil (with a Dead CAP of $61.5 mil) and those 3 have only given us 35 total games this season (as in less than 12 games/season average?). With a pronounced lack of DEPTH already, with having to replace so many starters & key rotational players, with limited salary CAP dollars & draft picks to buy or draft replacements we’re kinda screwed before we even get off the launchpad.
January 8th, 2023 at 7:15 am
Eva’s out. What a surprise.
January 8th, 2023 at 7:27 am
What sasquatch said.
January 8th, 2023 at 7:31 am
I am with DooshLaRue: Vea is soft. He might have a a heart or cojonnes but he never shows them enough. Paper champion, that is Vea. Man up and give us something you sieve! Sucks you are tanking for 8-9 Vea.
January 8th, 2023 at 8:21 am
Sasquatch. . Does the look on bowles face inspire confidence and speak of pride? We’re talking about a guy who was scared to let the best QB ever rip it against a bad browns team , leading to another loss of course. He may have pride heck maybe even too much. Doesn’t mean he is going to try to win this game tho. He knows his job rests on his playoff results not today’s game. I’m not even sure the Bucs win with all the starters in all four quarters. They be who they be at this point. One good half against Carolina doesn’t make them that
January 8th, 2023 at 8:22 am
We need to win this game no matter who plays……
January 8th, 2023 at 8:53 am
Lol he’s sitting simply to be ready to roll in the playoffs. Any man who plays in the NFL, except the soccer players, is not soft. If you’re not sure ask Damar Hamlin. Anyone with any lingering injuries should be sitting today.
January 8th, 2023 at 9:38 am
Un impressive and sloppy in offense, defense and special teams penalty killing drives 30 yard play >offense holding. players taking off .. all coaching issues.. no accountability relates to losing record and 1st round elimination.. thanks Tom Brady for leading us to the Superbowl. It’s been nice to have all these prime time games..
January 8th, 2023 at 10:00 am
Good. Sit the big feller, and get Gholston, Nacho, Logan Hall, and some practice squad scrubs more snaps. That way Hicks doesn’t need to strain his putendon.
January 8th, 2023 at 10:10 am
Don’t like resting players and they come out flat. Vea hasn’t had a good year in my opinion. Run defense has been meh compared to other years where they where dominant.
January 8th, 2023 at 10:28 am
Sasquatch: Agreed
GO BUCS!!!
January 8th, 2023 at 10:58 am
If this team lays an egg in ATL, clean house.
January 8th, 2023 at 11:41 am
Does anyone know if we should expect Cordarelle Patterson? If he is playing, with no Vita, he’s gonna run for a buck fifty and probably house a kickoff.
It puts pressure on the offense to do what Leftardwich enjoys burbling about – “scoring points” — although he hasn’t the slightest hint of a clue how.
I sure hope Ira is right and this bazoo is given 10 minutes to throw his office stuff in a bag and head formthe bus stop, next destination XFL.
January 8th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
VV sitting this one out turns an almost sure win into an almost sure loss!! IMO!!
January 8th, 2023 at 4:56 pm
Would love to pair up Siaki Ika/Baylor with Vea, next year.